Catching fish

Depending on the size of the tank, I like to pump out the water into a clean container, grab the fish, and pump the water back into the tank.

If you got a large fish trap you could train your fish to eat out of it by placing food in it every day without trapping them. Then when the time comes to catch them you would just put food in the trap and they would already be accustomed to going into it and you could pull them out.

If your just breaking it down, drain the water down real low, and catch them in a plastic bowl.....if you just need certain fish out, I used a teenie tiny hook with the barbs smashed down and some mysis shrimp, took just a few minutes and other than a poke the fish were fine, not the most humane way some may say, and if I fish gets that hook too deep your gonna have problems but the hook I used could not be completely swallowed by the fish. I have killed fish chasing them with nets. I only used this method as I was not tearing down the tank, had too many acros to use a net anyway, and draining tank would not work and i only needed two fish out, it was honesty so fast and the fish slide right off hook as it had no barbs and no net, or net chasing or traps were needed. Use that method at your own risk though, could be traumatic for the fish and if any of your fish are ill that could lead to problems.